WA Health has identified potential exposure sites after a truck driver tested positive to COVID-19 in Victoria on 5 October.
The truck driver, who is currently in South Australia, entered WA on 30 September and left on 3 October, was potentially infectious during this time. Initial testing of his co-driver has come back negative.
The truck driver visited three service stations while he was in WA.
A list of exposure sites (external site) and corresponding public health advice is published on the HealthyWA website. Anyone contacted is urged to follow health advice.
The risk to the general public is considered to be low but Public Health officials are working to identify any close or casual contacts of the man.
CCTV vision at the Kewdale site is also currently being reviewed as it is believed the man spent much of his time inside his truck over the 24 hour period.
Anyone with concerns can contact 13 COVID (13 26843).
Regional testing is available at:
- Norseman Hospital – 8am to 6pm.
Daily update
WA Health is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 overnight.
The State’s total remains at 1110. To date, 1086 people have recovered from the virus in WA.
As of 8pm last night, WA Health was monitoring 15 active COVID-19 cases, including seven people who are in hotel quarantine, four in Fiona Stanley Hospital from the vessel MV Stolt Sakura, and four aboard the Sakura.
Vessel update
There are now four crew members from the Sakura currently hospitalised, one is in ICU in a serious but stable condition. Three others are being managed on a respiratory ward and are in a stable condition.
The other crew members remain in isolation on board the vessel. WA Health will continue to work with the vessel and key maritime stakeholders regarding its ongoing management.
Two seafarers have been discharged from hospital and transferred into hotel quarantine, bringing the total in hotel quarantine from the Sakura to four. At this stage it is expected that the other crew members will remain in isolation on board the vessel unless they need to be transferred for medical treatment.
WA Health will continue to work with the vessel and key maritime stakeholders regarding its ongoing management.
Returned diplomat
The returned diplomat and family remain in a quarantine facility. Contact tracing has identified 50 close and casual contacts including one family member who tested positive, all others continue to test negative for COVID-19. All close contacts will remain in quarantine for 14 days and will be managed by WA Health public health officials.
Adelaide
WA Health has contacted Western Australians who travelled on Virgin flight VA722 from Adelaide to Perth at 18:00 hours on Friday 1 October, following Adelaide Airport being listed as an exposure site.
They have been instructed to get tested and isolate until they return a negative result.
This is in relation to a person who travelled from Victoria to South Australia, arriving at 17:25 hours in Adelaide on Friday 1 October, who returned a positive COVID-19 test.
To date, all casual contacts have returned a negative COVID-19 test. Anyone who has been to an exposure location listed on the SA website (external site) should quarantine until they have been advised otherwise by Public Health.
Testing clinics
Yesterday, 575 people were swabbed at State-run clinics*. A list of all testing clinics is available on the HealthyWA website.
COVID-19 vaccinations*
Everyone aged 12 years and over can now get vaccinated at the Claremont (Tom Wilding Pavillion, Gate 8 Ashton Avenue) and Joondalup (Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, inside western mall, next to Miss Maud, opposite Thingz) COVID-19 vaccination community clinics without an appointment. Opening hours vary (external site).
If you have not already booked an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccine, you can show up at one of these clinics and receive your vaccine.
For more information on getting your COVID-19 vaccine, visit the Rollup for WA website (external site)
New directions will soon make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for primary and community health workers to help protect the most vulnerable people in the community.
The mandate covers workers in private provider facilities, including general practitioners, private nurse offices and consulting offices, pharmacies, dental centres, allied health facilities and private pathology centres.
This public health measure provides for a nationally consistent approach following advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and will complement the introduction of mandatory vaccinations for health care workers.
New directions make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for the Dunsborough school leavers event. The decision is based on latest public health advice to protect school leavers, staff, volunteers and the local community. This will require all attendees and personnel to be vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by November 22.
Walk-in community clinics are available for young people aged 16 years and over (year 11 and 12) and school staff (external site). Bookings are not required but it is recommended registrations are made through a VaccinateWA (external site) account to make it easier to check in. Proof of age is also required.
Western Australian children aged 12 to 15 years are eligible for a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination (external site). Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit rollup.wa.gov.au (external site) to register and book appointments for their children in this age group.
There are many regional COVID-19 vaccination clinics open across WA, with bookings preferred but walk-ins accommodated where possible.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (external site) is available at selected WA pharmacies. To find a pharmacy offering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, visit Vaccine Clinic Finder (external site) or findapharmacy (external site). For the latest WA vaccination figures, visit the COVID-19 Coronavirus: Vaccination dashboard (external site)**.
Border controls
New directions make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for FIFO and other resource sector workers. They must receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 12:01am 1 December 2021 and be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.
Directions are also in place that make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for:
Australian states
New Zealand
In line with all other Australian jurisdictions, travel from New Zealand is treated as travel from an international location (external site).
Variants
To date, 174 cases of variant strains have been detected in Western Australia – including 53 Alpha strain, 15 Beta strain, one Gamma strain and 105 Delta strain.
Visit WA Health’s HealthyWA website for the latest information on COVID-19.
Follow us on Twitter: WAHealth
* Cumulative testing and daily vaccination data will be reported on Monday, 11 October 2021.
** WA vaccination data for the WA COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard is sourced from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). AIR is a national register maintained by the Australian Government that records all vaccines given to all people in Australia. WA data includes all COVID-19 vaccinations in WA, whether administered by WA Health, Australian Government providers or other providers (including GPs). WA previously reported only WA Health data. Note that the dashboard does not update until after 2pm Monday to Friday. A vaccine dashboard data interpretation guide (external site) is also available to help you.